Ghosts of the Past
by Foxy527
Summary: What happens when someone from Mark's past ends up at Seattle Grace needing his help?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Grey's Anatomy story, but I have done quite a few for Hawaii Five-0. I have only recently started watching GA (I know, I know) and I'm hooked; Especially with the Mark and Lexi story…..and the Mark and Callie "best friends with benefits" relationship.**

 **The idea for this story came to me yesterday and I couldn't wait to sit down and write. I hope you like it.**

 **BTW, this will most likely only be 2-3 chapters long, but we'll see what happens. ;)**

 **DISCLAIMER: I have no copyright claims to Grey's Anatomy or any characters. This is simply a story of my over-active imagination. ;)**

 **ALSO…The story will deal with the subject of domestic abuse in someone's past. Just wanted to forewarn you in case that is a sensitive subject for you.**

 **Please let me know what you think!**

*********GA***********GA******************GA

Dr. Mark Sloan was sound asleep in one of the deepest sleeps he'd had in a while. He'd come off a 30-hour shift….including 3 surgeries…..and was "bone tired" (meaning it was the kind of exhaustion you felt all the way to your bones.)

All he wanted was _sleep._

The incessant ringing of his phone woke him up, though, and he was not happy.

It was the "ringtone" he'd assigned to Callie, however, so he knew he had to answer. He groaned before turning over to pick his phone up reluctantly. He was still half asleep as he looked at the screen briefly and hit the "Talk" button.

"This better be good, Torres. I am _tired._ Actually, I'm _beyond_ tired and just want to _**sleep.**_ Do you know what I've done in the last 30 hours?!"

"I know….I **know**. But Mark, I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't important."

Mark propped himself up on one elbow and tried to open his eyes a little wider. Callie was right; She knew his schedule and knew what he'd been through that day. She had even been with him on one of the surgeries requiring both of their expertise.

"Okay, so what's going on?" He asked.

"A trauma victim was just brought in. She's beaten up pretty severely; Contusions, lacerations, some broken bones. She even has a couple of teeth knocked out. We're going to have to do a CT scan to see if there is any internal bleeding or anything else we can't see on the surface."

Mark felt himself begin to fume. If there was one thing he hated it was when a man laid his hands on a woman out of anger, frustration, or whatever other lame excuse he came up with.

"I'm working on setting and taping her broken ribs and casting her wrist," Callie continued. "But she's going to need some plastic surgery. Otherwise, she's going to have some nasty scars. Depending on what the CT shows, we may have to call Derek in, too."

Mark heard her take in a breath as if trying to calm herself down before speaking again, "The lacerations on her face are bad, Mark. I mean… _bad._ She is traumatized, so I thought maybe you could look at her and maybe put her at ease that you'll be able to fix it. Then, you can go back to get some sleep and we'll deal with all of it tomorrow. I'd just like to give her some hope that things will be okay. I will owe you….bigtime. Just name it, and I'll do whatever you want to pay you back."

Callie heard Mark sigh on the other line. He didn't need bribery from his closest friend to listen to her request. He would already do anything for Callie.

However, in this case, he had to ask because he heard the concern in Callie's voice: "She's that _bad?_ " he asked softly.

" **Yes**. This is one of the worst ones I've seen. Please, Mark. I'm really sorry to wake you, but it'll only take a few minutes to calm her down, I think."

Callie rarely asked for favors of this nature, so since he'd had a good 3 hours of sleep, he would consider it a "power nap". He started lifting himself up to get out of bed to brush his teeth and get dressed.

"Give me 15 minutes and I'll be there."

He heard her sigh of relief, "Thank you."

************GA********************GA*****************GA

True to his word, Mark Sloan walked in to Trauma 1 thirteen minutes and forty seconds later…..even though he was still tired and trying to fully wake up.

Callie was there to meet him and quickly handed him the patient's chart for his review. Mark opened it and started his routine perusal of the specific injuries, the patient's preliminary medical stats, and other information he might need to know. What it told him, in short, was that this woman had suffered a hell of a night.

Once he reviewed everything, his gaze moved upward to see the name of the victim; He always liked to call them by name to put them at ease…Especially after a trauma like this one where a female had been assaulted and was going to instinctively 'close up' as soon as a _male_ doctor walked in.

Many people, or at least those who didn't know him well, might consider Mark Sloan a "womanizer"….but in cases like this one, he felt a very protective instinct towards his patients and wanted to put them at ease from the get-go. A man who assaulted women was one thing that just pissed him off…so he did whatever it took to protect them and give them some confidence back.

He saw the name of the patient and froze _._

 _Morgan Grace Matthews-Age 38._

He read on a little further: _Birthdate: July 23rd_

He unconsciously took a step backwards as he continued to look at the chart.

 **No** way.

It _couldn't_ be the same one.

Or could it?

What were the chances of two women being named "Morgan Grace Matthews" who were the same age and shared the same birthday?

He cast a quick glance towards the room to get a look but a curtain had been pulled around to give her some privacy from anyone wandering by.

Could it possibly be _her?_

If so, the first question on Mark's mind was….What the hell was she doing beat up and needing plastic surgery in his hospital? And second…..Who would _do_ this to _Morgan_?

He noticed Callie watching him with curiosity. "Is everything okay? What's wrong?" she asked.

Instead of answering her question, he asked his own, "Who brought her in?"

The question caught her off guard. "Uh…..I think paramedics brought her in. I'm not sure. Why?"

Mark shrugged it off. "Doesn't matter. Come on….Let's see what we've got."

He tried to enter the exam room with the same confidence he always did, but he felt shaken. He pulled back the curtain and stepped forward.

What he saw both shocked and infuriated him….Literally shaking him to his core.

It _**was**_ Morgan _._

The same Morgan who had attended college with all of them. When they all moved on to med school, she went into Law. She and Mark had dated for a while back then and there was a time Mark was convinced he'd been in love with her. Derek sometimes still teased him about Morgan being "the one who got away".

Hearing the curtain open, she turned from the nurse and Mark saw her eyes grow wide in recognition as they rested on him. Mark stilled too: Even through the swollen eye, swollen jaw, and cuts on her face, he could still see "her" in there…..It was in her eyes….She'd always had the most beautiful eyes; They were crystal blue with little hints of green and long lashes that use to bring him to his knees.

"Mark?" she asked in surprise as she tried to push herself up a little on the bed. Her attempt was short lived, though, because the pain was more intense than she had figured.

Mark quickly stepped up beside the bed and took one of her hands in his. "Yeah, it's me…..Don't try to get up." Once she had settled back down and her pain had subsided somewhat, he asked, "What happened, honey? Who did this to you?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't tell you that, Mark," she whispered.

Mark sat down on the bed beside her and kept holding her hand. "Yes...you _can_. Talk to me…..Who did this?"

Morgan knew Mark was tenacious when he wanted something, so he wouldn't give up until she told him. Besides, if she was going to tell anyone, it might as well be Mark; Someone she'd loved at one time and still thought about every now and then.

She took in a deep breath trying to calm down, but her voice was still shaky when she spoke. "His name is Jason Elliott."

Mark felt her hand quivering as she said it and a mixture of heartache and anger boiled inside him; Heartache that she was so scared and anger towards whomever had done this to her.

He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb trying to calm her down and ease her fears. "Who is Jason Elliott?" He tried not to sound menacing, but it was difficult to do so. Whoever he was, Mark had every intention of hunting him down and kicking his ass as soon as possible.

"My boyfriend. Well, actually I guess he would be my _**ex**_ -boyfriend."

"Tell me what happened" Mark's voice was soft….but firm….and Morgan couldn't help but notice how _that_ hadn't changed much over the years: Mark was always one to take charge and be in control. So it was no surprise that rather than _asking_ her to tell him what happened…..he **told** her to tell him with every expectation that she would follow his lead.

She would have to tell them eventually, she reasoned, so she might as well get it over with.

"Jason came here for a conference. Or he _said_ it was a conference anyway. I've had some suspicions about him cheating on me so I surprised him by showing up to see if I was right.….I found them at a hotel….right in the middle of….." She looked up at Mark and saw a flash of anger in his eyes. "Well anyway, I found them…. _together_."

"And then what?"

"I confronted him…asked him how he was enjoying his 'conference'. It didn't take long for his 'girlfriend' to run out as fast as she could which left us in the room alone together."

She looked up at Mark with eyes pleading him to understand and not jump to conclusions.

"I started it, Mark" she began. " **I'm** the one who started it….I was screaming and calling him every name in the book and…and…This is **my** fault because _I_ started it and..…"

"Stop!" Mark said a little louder than he'd intended causing her to wince. Noticing his mistake right away, he softened his voice again and lifted his fingers to rub her cheek, "This is _not_ your fault! I don't want to hear you say 'you started it' anymore. Understand?"

She shook her head but stayed quiet.

"Good girl." He gave her a soft smile. "Now, we're going to need to run some tests…and then we can give you something to help you sleep tonight. We should be able to tell more about what we need to do in the morning."

Tears came to her eyes again. She didn't have to look in the mirror to know her injuries were bad. "Am I ever going to look the same again?"

Mark felt his heart break again.

"You're going to be more gorgeous than ever, honey, I promise. You're in good hands." He winked at her and Morgan knew he was right; Mark Sloan may be her old 'college boyfriend' but he was also one of the most renowned plastic surgeons in the country. If anyone could help her, it would be him.

For the first time in several hours, she began to calm down and feel as if everything would be okay.

"I'll be right back," Mark said before walking back into the hallway with Callie. As soon as they were out of earshot, Callie asked the burning question.

"You know her?"

Mark sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah. Morgan went to college with Derek and I…and Addison, Sam, and the rest of our group. She was my 'college girlfriend'."

Not what Callie had been expecting...but okay.

"So what happened between you?" Callie asked.

Mark shrugged, "We were young…..and headed in different directions with our careers….so it just sort of 'ended."

 _Interesting,_ Callie thought.

"I'm going to call Derek," Mark said. "I want him down here as soon as possible to look at her scans and see if we need to do anything else."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for your reviews and interests in this story. I appreciate all the comments.**

 **This is Chapter 2, and like I mentioned before, I'll either end things with this chapter or do one more. Please note: I'm not a pro…..I write for fun so there is no doubt you will find errors in my writing if you're looking for them. I would just ask that you keep in mind that I focus more on making my stories "fun to read" and hope you enjoy them. ;)**

 **I'd love to know what you think of this chapter, too, so feel free to drop me a line or two. Enjoy!**

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"Morgan?" The surprise in Derek's voice mirrored what Mark had felt when he realized it was her. "As in _your_ Morgan?

"Yeah," Mark replied, "I don't want anyone else but **you** to look over her scans. Can you come in?"

Derek wasn't at all surprised to see Mark taking control of the situation even though he and Morgan hadn't been together for over 15 years. They're entire "group" had known how much Mark and Morgan had been in love; Much like him and Addison had been at that time in their lives.

Mark heard shuffling in the background before Derek answered, "I'm already getting dressed. I'll be right there."

Mark knew that Derek needed rest as much as he did. After all, Derek's day had been just as long and exhausting as Mark's. But this was **Morgan** and Mark knew Derek would be just as concerned as he was over the shape she was in.

"Thanks, buddy." Mark answered.

He returned to the exam room and found them getting Morgan ready to go to Radiology for CT Scans. They had given her a sedative to calm her down which had already begun to take effect. She noticed Mark walking back in to the room and turned sleepy eyes his way.

"Will you go with me? Please?" The fear he heard in her voice moved him.

He grabbed her hand, "Of course. I'll stay right with you, okay?"

She gave him a small smile and continued holding his hand as they pushed her bed out of the room and made their way to Radiology.

************GA******************GA***************GA

Thirty minutes later, Morgan's CT scans were finished and she was in a room. Thanks to the sedatives she had been given earlier, she was fast asleep which allowed Mark a chance to step away to review her tests. He was in a Radiology room with Callie when Derek walked in.

"Hey," Derek said. "How is she?"

Mark turned around to look at him, "She's sleeping right now, but…Honestly, she's not good. She scared…Actually, she's _terrified._ "

Derek could see the muscles on the side of Mark's jaw moving as he clenched his teeth together in anger over what had happened to their friend. He patted Mark's back, "We'll take care of her. He won't get near her again."

"Damn straight he won't," Mark said. "I'm going to make sure of that."

Callie didn't miss the fierce protectiveness she heard in Mark's voice. It was unmistakable and obvious how much he had cared for this woman.

Derek turned to look at the scans posted in front of them and immediately saw an area of Morgan's brain clearly showing a concussion. He pointed towards one of them, "Right here…..She definitely has a concussion. Looks pretty severe." He shook his head in disbelief as he continued to look over the pictures in front of him. "What did he _**do**_ to her?"

Mark sighed, "I don't know. She was pretty upset so we didn't get into many of the specifics. I just know that she came to Seattle to check on a 'boyfriend' who was supposedly attending a 'conference'. She found him at his hotel with another woman, confronted him on it, and ended up here with the hell beat out of her. I don't know much more than that because she was really upset and I didn't want to push her too much for details yet."

Derek shook his head in understanding, "Probably a good idea." Then he turned back to look at her test results again before releasing a deep breath. "Okay…..well…..Let me exam her for any other symptoms and we'll go from there."

***************GA**************GA********************GA

Mark put out his arm to stop Derek right before they walked into Morgan's room.

"Listen to me," he began. "She's in bad shape. She doesn't look anything like the Morgan we remember, so I just want to warn you."

"It's okay, Mark…I understand. We've dealt with trauma victims before."

"I know…..but believe me…..It makes a big difference when that victim is someone you know."

They walked into the room to find Morgan still sleeping. A nurse was checking her vital signs so they waited. Derek was thankful for the reprieve since it was a shock seeing Morgan in the state she was in. Mark was right; Seeing a friend who was hurt to this extent was completely different from someone you didn't know. Neither was easy to deal with, especially when women and children were involved, but at least they were able to keep things in perspective when it was a "patient" verses a "friend". Seeing Morgan lying with such extensive bruising and abrasions was a hit in the gut for both men.

Once the nurse marked her chart and walked out, Mark stepped up to the bed. He gently shook Morgan, "Morgan, can you wake up for a minute, sweetie? Derek is here."

It took a little more prompting, but she eventually started to open her eyes slightly. One eye was nearly swollen shut, but the other one opened wide upon seeing Mark and Derek both at her bedside. "Mark? Derek? What are you doing here?" Her gaze darted around the room in confusion, "Where am I?"

Derek stepped up to her and smiled, "Hey, Morgan." He leaned took her hand. "It's been a long time, huh?"

She smiled weakly. "Yeah."

"So do you remember what happened?" he asked.

She looked as if she were contemplating his question before looking at him….and then Mark. Her brows furrowed.

"Jason," she answered. "Ummmm….Jason and I had a fight. Right?"

Now it was Mark's turn to move by her side, "Yes…..You said you met him at a hotel and had an argument. Do you remember any of it?"

"Oh my God. It was awful. He was awful…..I shouldn't have surprised him. Why did I do that?"

Tears filled her eyes and Mark leaned down closer to her, "Please don't cry, Gracie….We're going to fix it. I promise."

Hearing Mark call her by her childhood nickname was both endearing and heartbreaking; She had been given her grandmother's name as a "middle name", so most of her family called her "Gracie" rather than "Morgan". Only those who knew her best ever called her Gracie….and Mark was definitely included in that group.

Mark reached to wipe a tear away. "Derek needs to ask you some questions, okay?"

She shook her head in response and Derek began a preliminary exam by asking her to follow the movement of his finger, looking at her pupils, and asking her some routine questions such as the date, her birthdate, etc. He asked if she remembered coming to Seattle and what hotel she'd gone to meet Jason. When she had answered everything to his satisfaction, he smiled at her.

"You have a bad concussion, but I think you'll be okay with some rest. I'll be back later to check on you, okay?"

She offered him a tired smile, "Thanks, Derek."

Derek motioned for Mark to follow him into the hallway. When they were out of earshot, his expression turned grim.

"She's taken quite a hit." Derek said.

"I told you it was bad," Mark replied as he crossed his arms and looked back towards her.

"We'll keep an eye on her, but I think she'll be okay as far as any head injuries are concerned. _**You**_ are going to have your work cut out for you to fix all that damage, though. What the hell did he do to her?!"

"I don't know." Mark sighed as he ran a hand down his face, "But I'm going to find out."

Derek put a hand on his friend's arm, "Just don't push her too fast. The trauma to her body is going to be hard enough to heal without bringing up the memories of what happened. We're going to have to give her some time."

Dr. Bailey walked up, "Sorry to interrupt you, gentlemen, but we have a couple of police officers in the E.R. looking for a 'Morgan Matthews'". Torres said I needed to talk to you before bringing them up here. Wanna tell me what's going on?"

She looked from one man to the other. Mark was the one to speak first.

"Morgan is a friend of ours from college," he began. "She was assaulted tonight by a supposed 'boyfriend'. She's traumatized and in no condition to talk to police right now."

Bailey's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "They're going to want a statement," she said.

"I understand that!" Mark snapped. Then, looking towards her he exhaled a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Look, she's been through hell tonight, Bailey. She's in no condition to talk to anyone and have to recount what happened. "

Bailey noticed the expression on his face as he looked towards Morgan's room.

"Is that your _professional_ opinion…..or a _personal_ opinion?"

Mark turned back towards her and she saw the pain in his eyes.

"It's _**both**_ , Miranda." Derek answered for him. "Tell them to come back tomorrow and we'll make sure she can give a statement."

That seemed to satisfy her. "Okay…..but I don't think we can hold them off too long. If they are going to find the SOB who did this to her, they'll need to get her statement."

"She'll talk to them tomorrow." Mark said softly before excusing himself and walking back in to Morgan's room. Thanks to the medications she'd been given, she was resting comfortably. He pulled a chair closer to her bed and sat down with a heavy sigh before taking her hand and placing a kiss on her palm.

Bailey looked towards Derek. "Anything else I should know?"

"Morgan went to college with us," he said. "She and Mark were together for nearly 4 years before things ended. I don't think he ever got over her."

Bailey shot a surprised look in Mark's direction. Who would've thought Mark Sloan had ever been 'in love'? Seeing Mark with her now made it obvious though. Her expression softened as she turned back towards Derek.

"Okay," she sighed. "But like I said, we won't be able to hold the police off very long. If they are going to make an arrest, they'll have to get her statement." 

***************GA****************GA***********************GA

It was close to 5 a.m. when Callie made her way back to Morgan's room and found Mark asleep in the chair beside her. He still held her hand in his. She smiled softly; He had definitely cared for this woman at one time, and from the looks of things, that had never gone away. She made her way further into the room and touched his shoulder.

"Mark, wake up," she whispered.

He stirred and looked up at her sleepily.

"Why don't you go home and get some rest. I'll sit with her and call you if anything changes."

Mark shook his head, "No, I'm fine."

Callie gave him a knowing look, " _No_ you are not _'fine'_. You look like crap. Go home, sleep a couple of hours and get a shower. She probably won't wake up for a while anyway."

He still looked hesitant to leave Morgan, but finally gave in. After all, he lived right across the street from the hospital and could be back within five minutes if needed. That was the only reason he agreed to go. "Okay, but only for a couple of hours. If she starts to wake up before that, I want you to call me."

"I will. I promise."

**************ga******************GA***************GA

 **In the next chapter, we'll start dealing with the 'aftermath'. There will also be a confrontation between Mark and 'Jason'. I'm looking forward to that!**


	3. Chapter 3

**It took me awhile to get this chapter finished, and I apologize. This winter has not been "nice" to my kiddos….We've been dealing with the flu!**

 **However, I finally have an update. NOTE: This chapter will deal with details of the abuse Morgan experienced at Jason's hand. If that is something that is difficult for you, please don't read.**

 **Please let me know your thoughts. I love hearing from you!**

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Mark took a fast shower before collapsing onto his bed from exhaustion. He set the alarm on his phone for 7:30 a.m. and was fast asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He woke with a start two hours later when his alarm sounded. He dressed quickly, brushed his teeth, and headed back to the hospital to check on Morgan.

Callie was reading a book on her Kindle and gave him surprised look as he walked in.

"You're back already?"

"I did what you said, " Mark said defensively as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I took a shower and got some sleep."

Callie looked at her watch. "Wow…. _ **Two**_ whole hours," she said sarcastically.

"I'm just worried about her," he said softly.

Callie sighed and put her feet down to stand up, "I know you are, but she's stable. She's been sleeping the entire time you've been gone. Her vitals are good….and…"

Mark approached the bed to look at Morgan more closely as he interrupted Callie. "But her bruises are getting more pronounced and the swelling is worse," he interrupted.

"You know that's _normal,_ Mark," She looked at him sympathetically as she rubbed her hand soothingly up and down his arm. " You should really try to get more rest before she wakes up again. It's going to get _worse_ before it gets _better._ "

"I know," he agreed. "It's just hard for me to see her like this."

Knowing that she would never get him to agree to leave and get more sleep, Callie decided to distract him from Morgan's injuries...

If only _**briefly**_.

She reached back to pull up another chair beside hers at Morgan's bedside.

Then she gave him a pointed look and motioned towards the chair. "Sit."

Following her direction, he sat down.

Callie followed suit and sat back down beside him. "So tell me about her."

"I'm sure Derek's told you some of it already."

"Yeah," Callie agreed. "But I want to hear it from _you_."

Mark kept his gaze fixed on Morgan.

Callie saw him swallow and take a deep breath.

"She was the first girl I ever loved, Callie." He turned towards her and she could clearly see the pain in his eyes. "And if I'm being completely honest, I don't think I ever got over her. I really loved her," he admitted as he turned back to look at Morgan lying in the bed.

Callie reached over to take his hand. "I can see that," she said softly. "It's obvious that you cared a lot about her."

"Everything about her was _**good**_. And I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. She was sorta like Kepner; Ya know…..always _happy_ and smiling _._ Some people called her 'Suzy Sunshine' because of her endless optimism." He chuckled softly. "I know she probably got on people's nerves…" He looked towards Morgan and his voice softened, "….but I thought she was…"

When he paused, Callie looked at him with curiously, "She was what?"

" _ **Perfect**_ _._ " Mark sighed. "She was _perfect."_

Callie smiled at him softly and he continued.

"We dated for three years in college. I was her _'first'_ ….and she wasn't just another girl to me, Callie. She was **special.** "

"So what happened between you? If you were so good together, why did it end?"

Mark shrugged. "She deserved better than me, " he said 'matter-of-factly'.

Callie suddenly felt protective of her friend. She knew Mark's heart…..probably better than _anyone_. She knew his 'public persona' was very different from the one he showed everyone else, and one thing Callie knew for sure: Mark had a big heart…but it was _wounded_ and afraid to open for 'love'.

Was that because of how his relationship with Morgan had ended? She couldn't help but wonder.

"She deserved better?!" Callie said more sharply than she'd intended as she quirked a suspicious eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry, but that's a load of crap."

When he looked at her skeptically, she continued. "You forget that I _**know you**_ , Mark. Probably better than _anyone_ else. " She paused as she saw his brows furrow. "You have a big heart….and I know you have the ability to _love_. You just don't open yourself _**up**_ to it. So I'll ask you again: What happened with Morgan?"

Against his will, Mark's eyes filled and he looked down at his hands. "I really loved her, Callie. And honestly…..I don't know _**what**_ happened between us. I mean, we just sort of went in different directions and drifted apart. Before I knew it, we were on different paths…and the relationship just _ended._ "

"And yet, _here she is_ ….Back in your life again." Callie smiled.

"Nothing but a coincidence," Mark insisted. "But maybe that's a good thing because I wouldn't trust anyone else to operate on her." Mark reached out to touch Morgan's face softly, "She's always been so beautiful; Inside and out."

Callie reached over to rub his back affectionately. "She's lucky to have you."

**************h50*****************8h50******************h50

Several hours later, Morgan started to stir. She had a pounding headache and wished she could just go back to sleep. She started to move and felt a hand holding on to hers.

Her eyes fluttered open and she saw him…...His head was laying down beside her, but she would recognize that curly sandy brown hair anywhere.

She squeezed his hand weakly. "Mark?" Her voice croaked hoarsely.

He lifted his head and offered her a sleepy smile, "Hey…." He reached up to stroke her cheek with his thumb. "You okay?"

"I feel like my head is the size of a watermelon," she admitted. "A really **big** watermelon."

She tried to smile but found that only one side of her mouth would move.

Mark sensed her fear as she realized how badly she must be injured.

"It's just the swelling," he assured her. "Derek and I have both been watching over you."

"Derek is here too?" She asked surprised.

"Yes…He's here. You have a bad concussion, Morgan. You also have some cracked ribs and a broken wrist…..but everything else is cosmetic."

She looked at him with a terrified look on her face and he reached out for what seemed like the hundredth time to stroke her cheek.

"I'm going to fix it…..I promise. Don't worry, okay?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "But what if you **can't**?"

His gaze grew serious, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. "I'm one of the best plastic surgeons in the country, babe. You're in good hands, I promise. I _will_ fix it….All of it."

She gave him a small smile, "And you're still so modest, I see."

He couldn't help but chuckle at her comment.

Derek picked that moment to walk in. "Hey Morgan. It's good to see you awake." He smiled at her. "And as you can see, Mark hasn't changed much…..He's still as arrogant as ever."

They knew Derek was teasing, but Morgan still felt the need to defend him. "Oh, I'd say he's changed some. He's gotten even more handsome, if that's possible."

Derek was surprised to see that Mark actually blushed. He picked up the chart from the end of her bed to look over her stats for the last few hours and seemed to be pleased with what he saw. He took out his flashlight to look at her eyes before checking some reflexes. After a few more minutes of small talk, he turned towards Mark.

"I need to borrow Mark for a second, okay?"

Mark followed Derek out into the hallway where Derek's expression grew concerned. "I need to tell you a couple of things, but I want you to promise me to keep it together and not let her see you get upset."

Mark stood up straighter; He didn't like the sound of that, but agreed anyway.

Derek sighed and lowered his voice even more. "Morgan was brought in by paramedics last night. She somehow managed to get away from the bastard and down to the lobby before she collapsed. She was practically naked…Only wearing her underwear…"

Mark winced and the muscles on the side of his jaw began to twitch in anger.

"The desk clerk called 911," Derek continued, "and they brought her here since we were the closest hospital. She didn't regain consciousness until they had her in the E.R."

"So what about Elliott? Do they have him in custody?" Mark asked.

"That's the other thing I need to tell you." He released a frustrated sigh, " **No** , they don't have him. No one realized what room she'd come out of since she wasn't a registered guest. By the time they figured it out, he was long gone. That's why the police are here and need to talk to her now."

"No," Mark shook his head emphatically. "She's not ready."

"Mark…"

"I said, **NO** , Derek!" Mark's voice was getting louder as started to pace and struggle to keep his emotions under control. "You've seen her. She isn't ready to talk to anyone yet."

"I think she'll be fine if _you_ will stay with her." When Mark didn't respond, Derek continued, "Look….. He **needs** to be _arrested_ and locked up for what he's done to her. But that's not going to happen until they can talk to her. The longer we put them off, the harder it's going to be for them to find him and bring him in."

He was right. As much as Mark hated to admit it, Derek was right.

"Okay fine. But I'm not leaving her side, and if it gets to be too much for her to take right now, I will make them leave."

"Understood." Derek agreed. "I'll bring them up now."

Derek left to find the detectives assigned to her case while Mark went back into Morgan's room. She offered him a tentative smile when he walked in.

"Everything okay?"

He sat down beside her and took her hand. "Everything is fine." He smiled at her, "Listen, honey, the police need to talk to you about what happened last night. They need your help to find Jason and bring him in. Okay?"

Morgan shook her head in agreement even though he could see the fear in her eyes and feel her hand trembling in his.

He scooted a little closer, "It's gonna be okay. I'll stay right beside you the whole time."

A few minutes later, Derek walked in with two men behind him. They introduced themselves as Detectives Sanchez and Williams with the Seattle Police Department. What followed was a couple minutes of small talk where they were introduced to Dr. Shepard and Dr. Sloan and learned the extent of her injuries.

"Miss Matthews, I know this is difficult," Detective Sanchez began, "But can you tell us what happened last night?"

"I flew in from San Francisco and met Jason at the hotel."

"Was he expecting you?" Detective Williams asked.

"No. And it turns out my suspicions were right since I found him with someone."

"So what happened next?"

Morgan shifted uncomfortably on her bed and felt Mark squeeze her hand supportively.

"She ran out of the room when I confronted him. After she left, I walked in to talk to him."

Detective Sanchez shot her a suspicious look. "You went _**in**_ to the room on your own? Or did he **force** you in?"

Morgan huffed in frustration, "I went in of my own accord, Detective. It's not like I was expecting him to beat the living _hell_ out of me!"

Mark opened his mouth to say something, but Detective Williams cut him off while giving his partner a look of warning, "Sorry, Miss Matthews. Of course, we know you didn't invite this kind of assault. Please excuse my partner. So can you tell us what happened next?"

"We started yelling….and calling each other names. At one point, he hit me really hard across the face…. and I fell backwards onto the bed." She started squeezing Mark's hand more tightly as the horrifying details came to mind.

"I hate to ask you this, ma'am, but we need to know anything you can remember about what happened. Your injuries are pretty extensive, so everything you can tell us is going to help our case against him."

Mark spoke up, "I don't think she can do this right now, gentlemen."

"I'm okay, Mark," she said quietly.

He couldn't help but admire the resolve he heard in her voice even though he was fighting to let her continue. He hated to see her hurting. "Are you sure?"

She shook her head before turning back to the detectives. "I can tell you everything."


	4. Chapter 4

Morgan observed Mark's expression and was surprised to see how well she could still read him. If what she had divulged already made him this angry, what she had yet to reveal would make things worse.

She needed him beside her in this moment…

She needed the strength and familiarity he was providing…..

She prayed he could understand that without blowing up.

As his eyes met hers, Morgan's expression pleaded with him to reign in the anger she knew he was feeling until she could get through the details of her horrific ordeal at Jason's hands.

She felt Mark squeeze her hand supportively again and give her a wink as if he understood what she was thinking.

With her strength renewed, she took a deep breath and turned back to face the detectives. "After I fell onto the bed, he climbed on top of me and ripped my blouse off. He hit me a couple more times before I managed to get a knee up…..and kick him…."

Noticing the questioning expressions of all three men in the room, she continued.

" _Yes_ , I _kicked_ him…. _ **in the balls**_ …..as **hard** as I could."

 _ **That's my girl**_ , Mark thought even though Morgan hadn't been "his girl" for many years. So, where was this sudden possessiveness coming from?

It didn't matter. Right now, he needed to hear the rest of her story.

"I got up and tried to run towards the door, but he grabbed my leg and pulled me down. When he got up, I was still on the floor and he kicked me a couple of times."

 _That's probably when he broke her ribs_ , Mark fumed.

Morgan inhaled deeply before releasing a calming breath and willing herself to continue. "Then, he picked me up and threw me against the wall and put his hands…."

Her lip began to tremble as she turned her eyes to Mark briefly.

"He….um…"

Mark wanted to stop her and force them to leave, but he knew Morgan well enough to know she could be stubborn when she'd set her mind to do something. He'd read the look in her eyes moments ago and figured it would be best to get as many details as possible out now. Then, hopefully she could begin to move on and focus on her healing.

Rather than insisting the interview stop, he encouraged her to continue. "It's okay. He's not going to hurt you again, I promise. Tell us what happened."

He could feel her shaking as he held her hand, so he attempted to calm her fears by stroking her palm with his thumb as he held it.

"He tried to choke me," She continued before choking back a sob. "He threw me into a picture on the wall. The frame broke….." Her eyes darted back and forth as if she were reliving the moments, "Glass went _everywhere._ "

Mark felt an anger burning inside him unlike anything he'd experienced before. He swore to himself that he would make Jason Elliott regret laying a finger on Morgan.

"I know this is difficult, Ms. Matthews, but we're almost finished. Can you tell us how you managed to get away?" Detective Sanchez asked quietly.

She shook her head as her brows creased together. "I landed on the floor by the bedside table. I….um….I pulled the lamp down. I hit him with it…Just broke it over his head."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Morgan broke down in sobs and looked at Mark, "Oh my God, Mark…..I _**broke**_ it over his _head!_! What was I thinking?"

She began to tremble again and Mark stood up to stop the interview. Morgan had had enough, and whether or not she realized her need for his protection, he was giving it to her anyway.

"That's all for now, Detectives. She needs to rest."

"Dr. Sloan…."

"I said it's **enough** ," Mark barked. "She's _finished_ for now. Feel free to call me if you need to talk to her again later and we'll arrange it."" He gave them a pointed look.

They thanked Morgan for talking to them and asked Mark to meet them in the hallway.

He leaned down to Morgan briefly and gave her another wink. "I'll be right back."

The three men walked out of the room and out of distance for Morgan to hear them.

"Dr. Sloan, am I correct to assume that Miss Matthews is more than a _patient_ to you?"

"We're old friends," was all Mark would divulge even though the connection between him and Morgan was evident everyone. He'd only left her side for two hours since she'd been brought in, and that was only because Callie had insisted he do so.

"Well, as you know, assaults like this are traumatic on many levels," Detective Williams began. "In addition to her physical injuries, she will most likely go through some very difficult flashbacks, nightmares, and other psychological issues. It is very probable she'll experience some PTSD. I'm assuming you can refer her to someone to help with that?"

"I'll take care of it," Mark assured them.

Detective Sanchez let out a sigh. "Dr. Sloan, I understand your desire to protect her, but there are a few more things we need to know before we can apprehend Mr. Elliott."

"Like what?"" Marks asked.

"Like where we might be able to find him," Detective Sanchez answered sarcastically. "I don't mean to be rude, doctor, but if we are going to find Elliott and press charges for what he's done, we'll need to know the best places to look for him. You do understand that, right?"

Mark squared his shoulders and met the detectives glare with one of his own. He wasn't about to be intimidated. "Well, I don't mean to be rude either, _Detective_ , but as her **doctor** , I'm telling you she's had enough for now. Let's focus on getting her a little more stable first. As you can see, her injuries are extensive. Pushing her too fast for details isn't what she needs right now. I'll call you when she's more stable and you can try again. "

Although neither detective looked completely satisfied with his answer, they had no choice but to give in.

What they didn't know was that Mark had decided to try to get a little more detail out of her himself; Information that he could then share with the police and save her the emotional pain of doing so.

*****************GA*****************GA*********************GA

Callie heard the end of Mark's conversation with the detectives and approached him at the nurse's station once they walked away.

She put a hand on his forearm. "Hey….you okay?"

Mark looked towards her with worry in his eyes. "I'm okay," he answered.

She knew him too well to buy it. She could clearly see he was exhausted, but she knew better than trying to convince him to get more sleep away from the hospital. Mark could be stubborn when he set his mind to something and it was obvious leaving Morgan alone was not something he was going to do any time soon.

Mark noticed Callie giving him a suspicious look. "What?"

"I'll be right back…..I have an idea," she answered before walking quickly away.

Mark walked back in to Morgan's room and sat down beside her. She had fallen back to sleep so he tried to be as quiet as possible in an effort to not disturb her. A few minutes later, Callie came back into the room pushing a fold up cot. Stacked on top of it were like sheets, a blanket, and a pillow. Mark looked at her quizzically.

Callie raised her eyebrows at him in one of her signature 'You-Are-Going-To-Do-As-I-Say-And-Not-Argue-With-Me' looks.

"It's obvious I'm not going to convince you to go back home and get some sleep…" She nodded her head towards the window where their apartments were located, "Even though you live right across the street."

Mark grimaced.

"SO," she continued, "I stole a cot from an On-Call Room and brought it to you. We are going to make up this bed and YOU are going to get some rest. Understand?"

His grimace turned to a grin and his eyes softened. Callie knew him so well…..What would he do without her?

"Yes, ma'am. I think I can do that."

"Don't call me ma'am," She said smartly even though she was smiling.

They both worked to get the cot unfolded, the sheets and blankets ready, and positioned it where Mark could sleep right beside Morgan without being in the way of the nurses who were coming in periodically to check on her.

Callie looked at her watch. "I have a surgery in 30-minutes, so I need to go. I'll be back later to check on you, okay?"

Mark was too tired to speak so he just shook his head in agreement.

Callie pointed a finger at him, "Get some sleep, Mark. I mean it. You're no good for her if you aren't rested. She's going to need your help soon…So you need to sleep."

Mark just smiled at her. "Thanks, Callie."

She waited until she saw him getting out of the chair and settling on the cot beside Morgan before she left the room. Then, she stopped at the nurses station on her way out to speak with the nurse covering the floor. She was relieved to see it was Judy who was an experienced nurse and one who was also a 'motherly" type. Judy was excellent at looking after her patients while also insuring they followed doctor's orders.

"Judy, I need a favor."

She looked up from the chart she was reviewing and smiled at Callie. "What can I do, Dr. Torres?"

Callie tilted her head in the direction of Morgan's room. "Dr. Sloan needs to rest, so try not to wake him when you go in to check on Miss Matthews. Okay?"

The nurse smiled knowingly, "She's a friend?"

"Yes, they're college friends. Actually….probably more than that…..but that's a different story. I can't get him to leave her, though, so if you can try to let him get some sleep…"

Judy held up her hand to stop her, "I'll take care of both of them, Dr. Torres. You have my word."

Satisfied with her statement, Callie thanked her and made her way to get ready for the surgery she had on schedule.

****************GA*******************GA*******************GA

 _Sometime later…_

Morgan awakened and was pleasantly surprised to see Mark still there with her. He had kept his promise to not leave her and was sleeping in a bed right beside her bed. She studied his profile and couldn't help but feel a familiar "flip flop" in her chest when a memory came to mind.

 _Morgan opened her eyes and found Mark propped up on one elbow watching her. He gave her a soft, sleepy smile when their eyes met. They'd had the most amazing night together and she was still finding it hard to believe she had this man in her bed. Again._

" _Mornin', Gracie," he said._

 _She returned his smile, "Mornin', doctor."_

" _I'm not a doctor yet," he corrected as his smile grew wider._

" _I know, but you_ _ **will**_ _be. Someday you're going to be an_ _ **amazing**_ _surgeon and people will come from all over the world for your expertise. "_

 _Mark was always shocked at her faith in him. She was one of the only people who had ever believed he was capable of_ _ **anything**_ _and he loved her for it. "How can you be so sure?"_

 _She put her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss before moving her hands to his face and holding his gaze. "Because you're_ _ **already**_ _amazing…..and I believe in you. Trust me. You're going to be one of the best surgeons ever."_

Morgan continued to watch his profile as he slept. She'd been head-over-heels in love with him when they were younger. Back then, he was charming….and funny….thoughtful…and the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. There were many times she had wondered how she'd been lucky enough to find a guy like Mark. She loved him….and she had no doubt he loved her back.

This "older, more mature" Mark seemed to have changed in a couple of ways: Although she wouldn't have believed it possible, he'd somehow managed to grow even more gorgeous. She'd felt her heart flip when she saw him walking into her exam room the night before. She could only imagine how hideous she must look, but seeing Mark with all that manly scruff was sexy as hell. No doubt, he had his choice of women.

That thought was unsettling, but she reasoned it had been nearly fifteen years since they'd been together. Therefore, it was a place she shouldn't allow her thoughts to wander. After all, she'd been with a few different guys during that time as well.

None of them had ever measured up to Mark in her eyes, though. It was like she'd been on a constant search for a replacement of the love she could never replace.

Another change she sensed in him made her heart hurt, however. The younger Mark always had a twinkle in his eyes. There was a certain boyish quality about him she'd always found very endearing. That "twinkle" seemed to have been replaced by a sadness…..or emptiness…..causing her to be curious about what could have caused that light to be dimmed.

Feeling her eyes on him, Mark opened his eyes and met her with the same sleepy grin she remembered.

"Mornin', Gracie," he said as if he'd been able to read her thoughts and the memory she'd felt just moments earlier. His voice had the hoarse, 'just woke up' lilt that always made her toes curl.

Apparently, some things never changed, she mused.

"Mornin', Doctor," she answered causing Mark to chuckle.

"I guess I made it after all, huh?" Mark said as he started to sit up.

She shook her head, "Yes, you did. I knew you would. And just like I predicted, you became an amazing surgeon."

***********************GA

 **Next chapter in the works. I'll try not to take so long with that one! We're going to see a confrontation between Mark and Jason which should be interesting!**

 **Let me know what you think! Thanks, as always for your "Favorites", "Follows", and "REVIEWS".**


	5. Chapter 5

Mark sat up from the cot he'd slept on the night before and stretched before standing up and stepping over to Morgan's bed.

"You always had faith in me," he smiled down at her.

She shrugged. "I could see it in you," she replied.

They looked at each other for a few moments both lost in their own thoughts before Mark broke the silence.

"I need to get a shower." He looked down at his scrubs, "And probably some clean clothes, but I'll be back. Then, we can talk about what to do next. Okay?"

When Mark walked out of Morgan's room, he saw Nurse Judy on the computer at the nurse's station. Walking over, he rested an elbow on the counter until she looked up at him with a curious expression.

"Something you need, Dr. Sloan?"

"No…..I just wanted to _**thank you**_ …..You know, for watching over Morgan last night."

"That girl's been through quite an ordeal." She said softly.

Mark shook his head in agreement. "Yes, she has….but she's going to be okay."

She reached to put a hand on his forearm as she smiled encouragingly. "Oh, I have no doubt about that, Dr. Sloan. You're one of the best….If not _the_ best. She's lucky to have you."

Mark gave her a sad smile and shook his head before tilting his eyes back down, "I don't know how lucky she is to have _me_...but I know I was lucky to have _her_ at one time." Mark had no idea why he had just divulged such personal information, but he could only assume it was because he was suffering from a severe lack of sleep.

He sighed before looking at her again. "Keep an eye on her for me, will you? I'm just going to take a shower, but I'll be back soon."

"I'll look after her," she assured him.

As Mark walked away, he looked over his shoulder as he thought about how she had covered him up with a blanket during one of her middle-of-the-night checks on Morgan. "Oh, and by the way, thanks for what you did for me, too…..Even though I know Dr. Torres probably put you up to it." he said with a cheeky grin.

She couldn't help but chuckle, "Anytime, my dear."

**************GA*****************GA**************GA

Callie gave a quick knock before walking into the shower room to forewarn anyone she was coming in. She and Mark were best friends and occasional 'sex buddies' when they weren't in their own relationships, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to walk in and have a conversation while he was in the shower. Not that anyone else's presence would have stopped her from going in anyway….This was too important….but she tried to avoid any awkward situations that could happen if anyone else was there. Fortunately, he was the only one there at present.

"Mark!" she spoke over the spray of the shower.

Mark heard Callie's voice in the middle of rinsing the shampoo out of his hair. He did a half-turn and continued to rinse.

"What's up?"

Callie's eyes had fire in them as she grabbed his towel and held it out to him.

"You need to get out. Now!"

He tried to blink the water out of his eyes as he asked again, "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"He's here!"

Mark didn't understand. " **Who's** here?"

"That piece of crap, Jason Elliott," Callie replied.

She barely finished her sentence before Mark took the towel from her hands and started drying off. He wrapped it around his waist and Callie followed as he stalked towards his locker to get clean scrubs.

"He showed up downstairs demanding to know where she was. They saw the 'flag' on Morgan's online file and called security right away," Callie continued, "One of our security guys is actually standing outside Morgan's room, but I thought you might want to know."

"Damn right I do. Where is he?!" Mark growled.

Callie told him they were holding Elliott in one of the rooms commonly was used for private conferences with families where he would be detained until police arrived. Mark was still pulling on his scrub shirt when they walked out of the room. His fury grew with each step he took causing Callie to question whether it had been a good idea to tell him. She had never seen him so angry. When they got closer to the conference room, a man's voice could be heard yelling on the inside. They both knew it was most likely Jason Elliott.

Callie put a hand on Mark's arm to stop him briefly. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Mark looked at her but refused to say anything in response. He opened the door where they found Elliott standing up and screaming at one of the security guards while he demanded to see Morgan. Mark wasted no time grabbing him by his shirt collar and pushing him up against a wall.

"What the hell?!" Jason screamed. "Who are _you_? What do you think you're doing?!"

Mark's voice was a low growl with barely controlled anger burning under the surface. Holding Jason in place, he got inches from his face, "I'm the doctor who's going to fix what **you** _**did**_ to her! I'm also the man who's going to make sure you never lay a hand on her again, you son of a bitch! I swear to God, if you ever touch her again, there won't be a surgeon anywhere who will be able to fix **you.** Do I make myself clear?"

"Are you threatening me?" Jason tried to sound confident but Mark didn't miss the small quiver in his voice as he did so. Neither did Callie as a barely perceptible smile crossed her mouth.

"You're damn right I am!" Unable to resist any longer, Mark knocked him down with one well-placed punch to the jaw.

Jason tried to stand back up to reciprocate, but Mark was faster. He knelt down and pinned Jason in place before getting into his face again.

"Don't. Touch her. Again." He spat.

"I'm going to sue you for assault!" Jason screamed as Mark stood up to leave.

"Be my guest," he scoffed before yanking open the door and walking out. He needed to get to Morgan….

He needed to know she was okay.

Before going after him, Callie spoke to the officer in the room, "He doesn't leave this room."

"I won't let him out of my site, Doc," he answered.

Callie walked out and jogged to catch up with Mark before he reached Morgan's room.

"You need to calm down before you go in there," she said. "She doesn't need to see you this upset."

Mark stopped and let out a big sigh before running a hand down his face in frustration. He turned to Callie, "You're right."

"Okay…..good….so _deep breaths._ " Then, in an effort to ease the tension, she smiled at him, "Dude, you totally scared the **crap** out of him. Did you hear his voice shaking?"

Mark couldn't help but grin confidently, but it was only a few seconds before his face sobered again, "He can't get near her again, Callie. I swear to God, I don't know what I'll do if he ever touches her again. I don't think I've ever been that pissed."

"I understand." Callie couldn't help herself; She pulled him in for a hug and felt Mark hold on tightly. "Don't think about him anymore," she continued. "Morgan needs you right now."

***************GA*********************GA*******************GA

Mark walked into Morgan's room and found Derek talking to her. She laughed at something he said but then immediately winced at the pain it caused.

"Sorry," Derek said before noticing Mark in the room. "Hey, I was just telling Morgan that her latest scans look good. We're almost out of the most critical period and I have every confidence she won't suffer any lasting neurological problems."

Mark stepped towards the bed and grinned as Morgan moved her eyes to look at him. "That's good news. So how are you feeling?"

"Drugged," she giggled. "I don't know what you guys have been giving me, but I'm not feeling much of anything right now. Well, unless I laugh and then it hurts a little."

"You're doing great," Derek said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "I have a surgery in a little while, but I'll be back to check on you again later, okay?"

Morgan shook her head affirmatively. "Thanks, Derek."

After Derek left, Mark sat down beside her and took her hand. "I need to remove these bandages and look over your swelling. Hopefully, it won't be much longer before I can operate, okay?"

As if on cue, a nurse came in to help Mark as he began to gently remove some of them. Morgan couldn't read his expression very well to gauge how bad her injuries may be. She assumed it was because he had quite a bit of experience at this and could effectively mask what he was looking at. She had no doubt it was bad, though, and that frightened her to no end. She silently berated herself and the choice she'd make to follow Jason and confront him.

If only….

Mark sensed her breathing getting more rapid and he stopped what he was doing. "Hey. Are you okay?" His voice was calm and assured as he watched her.

Her lip quivered slightly. "How bad is it? Tell me the _truth_ , Mark."

His expression didn't change as he looked her in the eyes. "The truth?"

"Please," she asked nervously even though she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he had to say.

A soft smile crossed his lips. "The good news is I'm going to be able to schedule an OR and get you in today. You're going to be fine. In fact…..I'd say you're going to be better than fine."

"So….no scars?"

He reached his thumb up to stroke her cheek. "No scars. No one will know anything happened. I promise."

He saw her visibly relax as he stood up and prepared to schedule her surgery. It was then she noticed a cut and some redness on his knuckles. Her brows furrowed, "What happened?"

Mark didn't plan on telling her about Jason Elliott showing up at the hospital, so he tried to shrug it off. "It's nothing; Just a scratch."

It may have been fifteen years since they'd seen each other, but Morgan could still tell when he was holding something back. "Are you sure?"

Mark had never lied to her and he was finding he _still_ couldn't do so; Especially when she was looking at him like she was at that moment. He let out a sigh.

"Jason showed up earlier wanting to see you, but Security stopped him."

She sat up in alarm. "Jason was here? In the hospital? But…"

Mark interrupted her, "By now, he should be in police custody and you shouldn't have to worry about it anymore. He won't get near you again, but I'm sure the detectives will be back here to ask you more questions soon. And you'll probably have to formally file charges against him."

She seemed to find some relief in knowing he had been arrested, but she was still concerned for Mark. He was avoiding answering her question, so she asked again. "And your hand?"

"Let's just say…..we had a _discussion._ "

He saw her swallow nervously. "You saw Jason?!"

Mark nodded.

"So, what kind of 'discussion' did you have exactly?" She knew the answer, but needed to hear him confirm it.

"The kind where I told him I will kick his ass if he ever gets near you again. I'm pretty sure he got the message." Mark smirked.

Morgan was speechless. Mark had always been protective, but she wouldn't have expected him to still stand up for her.

"Okay," she said softly. "Well….um…thank you."

He leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. "I told you everything is going to be okay, babe. Trust me."


End file.
